Clutch and brake control for motor-vehicles.



H'. E. OOPPIN. CLUTCH AND BRAKE CONTROL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1908.

Patented July 28, 1914,

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H. E. GOFPIN.

CLUTCH AND BRAKE CONTROL EOE MoToE VEHICLES.

' APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 9, 1908.

1,105,548, Patented July 28,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wnesses f/Hfenfo/ i UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE. w

HOWARD E. COFFIN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNO T0 CHALMERS-DETBOITMOTOR COKPANY, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION 0F HICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, l1914.

Application med November 9, 1908. Serial No. 481,778.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HowAnD E. COFFIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates ofAmerica, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutchand Brake Gintrol for Motor-Vehicles, of which the followingis aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawin s.

The invention re ates to control mechanism for motor vehicles andconsists in the peculiar construction whereby a single pedal is employedfor controlling both the main clutch and the brake.

In the drawings: Figure 1 -is a sectional elevation of a portion of thetransmission mechanism of a motor vehicle to which my improvements areapplied; Fig. 2 is a cross section thereof.

A is the motor shaft, B the transmission shaft, and C the maincluteh forcou ling the motor to the transmission. -This c utch is preferablyarranged within the fly wheel D or the motor, and is also preferablyassov ciated with a variable speed transmission gearing which isarranged intermediate the motor and the transmission shaft B. Theparticular construction of this variable speed transmission forms nopart of the present invention; and I have therefore illustrated merelythe casin E, in which said transmission is oca Tifeclutch C,asillustrated, is of the multiple disk type comprising the alternatelyarranged disks F and F. The disks F are connected by pins G engaging theperipheral portion thereof to the ily wheel D, while the disks F engagethe head H upon the shaft I in alinement with the motor shaft A. Theclutch is automatically engaged by springs J which in coperation withpins K operate clamping `plates L at opposite ends of the series ofdisks. For releasing the clutch a member M is connected to one of theclamping plates and sleeved upon the shaft I, and provided at its outeiend with a ange N, whichis en aged by a bearing O on a rocker O so as toe drawn outward against the tension of the springs J when the clutch Aisreleased. The brake P is preferably arranged at the outer end o`f thetransmission gearing and com rises a brake head P and a surrounding rakef ment.

strap Q, which is applied by a movement of the lever R.

For controllin the clutch, and also .for applying the bra e, I emplo asin le actuating member, and preferab ya pe al lever S. This as shown,is fulcrumed at T upon the housing E for the transmission gearin and iscoupled to the rocker O through the medium of a link U and rock arm `V.The connection to the brake is formed b an extension S of the leverbeyond the ulcrum, which is coupled to a vertical connecting rod -Wattached to the lever R.

With the construction as described, in operation thepedal S is held inits normal position by the tension ofthe springs J, and in a posit-ionwhere the clutch is in enga e- To release the clutch, either w o ly orpartially, the pedal is operated and through the medium of the link Uand rock arm V will actuate the rocker O so as t0 draw upon the Harige Nand moving the clamping plate H aga-inst the tension of the spring J Alost mot-ion connection is provided between the pedal lever and the inkW to permit the full release of the clutch before application of thebrake strap to the soY brake head. If, however, the operator desires toapply the brake a further movement of the pedal will produce thisresult.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a motor vehicle, the combination with the motor shaft, thetransmission and a casing for the transmission, of a clutch intermediatesaid motor shaft and transmission, a brake applied tothe transmission, apedal lever fulcrumed on said casing, a rocker for releasingsaid'clutch, a link connecting said rocker with said edal lever upon oneside of thefulcrum o the latter,

a lever for actuating said brake, and a link connecting saidlast-mentioned lever with the pedal lever upon the opposite side of thefulcrum of the pedal lever.,e i v 2. In a motor vehicle,"the combinationwith the motor shaft, the transmission and a casin for the transmission,of a clutch in termediate said'motor shaft and transmission, a brakeapplied to the transmission, a pedal lever fulcrumed on said casing, arocker for releasing saidclutch, a link con necting said rocker withsaidal lever upon one side of the fu'lcrum o the latter, a lever foractuating said brake, a link -connectin said last-mentioned lever withthe pedal ever upon the opposite side of the fulcrum of the pedal lever,and a lost-motion connection between said pedal lever and saidlast-mentioned link. j:

3. 'In a motor vehicle, the combination with the motor shaft, thetransmission and with the motor shaft and transmission, of`

a clutch intermediate said motor shaft and transmissiom'a brake appliedto the transmission, a pedal lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends, aconnection between the clutch and the lever upon one side of and at abrake applied to the transmission, a pedal a distance from the pedallever fulcrum, and a connection between the brake and said lever uponthe opposite side of and at a distance from said fulcrum, saidconnections being -securedto the lever independent of its ulcrum.

5. In -a motor vehicle, the combination with the motor shaft, thetransmission and transmission casing, of a clutch intermediate the motorshaft and the transmission,

lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon the caslng, a connectionbetween the clutch the projection of said and the lever uponone side ofand at a distance from the ulcrum of the latter, and a connectionbetween the brake and the lever upon the opposite sideof andata distancefrom said fulcrum, said connections being secured to the leverindependent of the fulcrum thereof.

6.' In a motor vehicle, the combination with the motor shaft and thetransmission, of a clutch intermediate 'said motor shaft andtransmission, a brake applied to the transmission, a pedal leverfulcrumedintermediate its ends, actuating members for the brake andclutch connected to the pedal lever respectively upon opposite sides ofand at points spaced from its fulcrum, and independent thereof, theconnections between the actuating member and the pedal lever being insubstantially the longitudinal rplane of said lever.

7. In a motor vehicle, the .combinationI with the motor shaft, thetransmission and the transmission casing, of a clutch, intermediate saidmotor shaft and transmission, a pedal lever fulcrumed intermediate itsends upon said casing, actuating members for the brake and clutch, oneof sald actuating members being connected to the pedal lever at one endand upon one side of and at a distancev from the pedal lever fulcrum,and the other actuating member being connected to the pedal leverintermediate the opposite end of the latter and its. fulcrum. l

In testimony whereof I atlix my'signature in presence of two witnesses.

HOWARD E. COFFIN. Witnesses:

NELLmA KINSELLA, JAMES P. BARRY.

